Can crusher

ABSTRACT

A can crusher using a pair of wheels with resilient tires that are arranged for in-line rotational movement with the tires touching. Cans are directed by a chute into the intersecting contacting area of the rotating tires, whereby the cans are crushed in passing therebetween with the speed of rotation of the tires projecting the cans with considerable force, causing the cans to move to deposit at the other end of a large container.

United States Patent [191' Davis, Jr. et a1.

CAN CRUSHER inventors: Charles M. Davis, Jr., Bonita;

Joseph N. Fox, Coronado, both of Calif;

Assignee: Scrap Metals Inc., San Diego, Calif.

Filed: Dec. 22, 1972 Appl. No.: 317,808

US. Cl 100/159, 72/237, IOO/DIG. 2, 100/176, 100/211 Int. Cl. B30b 3/00 Field of Search 72/237, 240, 249, 250; 100/D1G. 2, 159, 211, 176

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1930 Me1vi11e 100/D1G. 2

1 1 June 4,1974

Frank IOU/DIG. 2 Pugdin IOU/DIG. 2

Primary ExaminerChar1es W. Lanham Assistant Examiner-Robert M. .Rogers Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Brown and Martin 157] ABSTRACT A can crusher using a pair of wheels with resilient tires that are arranged for in-line rotational movement with the tires touching. Cans are directed by a chute into the intersecting contacting area of the rotating tires, whereby the cans are crushed in passing therebetween with the speed of rotation of the tires projecting the cans with considerable force, causing the cans to move to deposit at the other end of a large container.

11 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The collecting of cans and other items for metal reuse is well known. Cans and other articles that are made of steel, aluminum or the like have been collected for many years. Thus these items, of a small size, are collected and then transported to a point where the metal is re-used. In the past, most of such collecting efforts have been sporadic, with the cans being shipped either in their normal shape or after being crushed by hand or by other primitive methods. These methods or procedures do not lend themselves to a major continuous and productive effort of reprocessing used metal cans and the like, because reprocessing of the cans requires an efficient collection of the cans and a crushing of the cans to a small size so that they can be inexpensively collected and transported to points of processing for re-use of the metal. This is especially true with the widespread use of aluminum and steel cans and the recognized need for reprocessing the metal in these cans.

So it is advantageous to have a can crusher that crushes small in size metal objects such as cans or the like, efficiently, quickly and inexpensively with a small in size operative structure that can be located in many locations for collecting cans. This allows cans and other metal objects to be easily and efficiently collected, crushed, reduced in size and deposited in containers and transported to points of shipment with a relatively inexpensively and yet efficiently operated mechanism that will make the collection of such objects financially practical.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In an exemplary embodiment of this invention, a pair ofwheels with resilienttires are held in abutting, in-line relationship by a rigid frame. The frame supports the tires through their respective axles with the tires touching. A drive motor drives one of the axles, thus rotating one of the tires that in turn contacts and rotates the other tire. A hopper collects cans or other objects that are fed through a chute to the area of intersecting contact of the tires. The tires through their tread and through thegravitational movement of the cans, grabs the cans and pulls the cans between the tires crushing them. Because of the speed of rotation of the tires, the crushed cans are projected at a relatively high velocity from the contacting tires. This causes the cans to move to the rear of a container so that a relatively large container can be efficiently filled with cans, progressively from the end of the container away from the can crusher toward the can crusher end, Thus no movement ofthe cans within the container is necessary to fill the container.

The connection of the axle of the non-driven wheel to the frame has means for moving the axle and thus the wheel and tire, either toward or away from the other wheel and tire. Thus, the pressure of the contact between the tires may be selectively adjusted. This allows the pressure exerted by the tires to be selectively set. Also, non-slip clamps can be added to one of the tires, preferably the non-driven wheel tire, to aid in gripping and driving wet cans or the like between the tires. The frame structure can be open allowing the contents of cans to drain directly out of the can crusher onto the ground or into a receptacle provided for this purpose.

I The can crusher can crush aluminum or steel cans or other suitable aluminum or metal objects.

Thus it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved can crusher.

Other objects and many advantages of this invention will become more apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description and an examination of the drawing, wherein like referenced numerals designate like parts throughout and in which:

FIG. I is a top plan view of an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawing, a can crusher 10 is il lustrated as being mounted on a truck body or container 12 for receiving the crushed cans. The can crusher 10 has a frame means for holding a pair of wheels 36 and 38 in abutting alignment with their re spective tires touching. The frame member comprises a rigid member 20 that may be a box beam or the like, that has attached to it at right angles thereto, a pair of spaced beam members 16 and 18. The rigid member is secured at its end to vertical bearn members 14 and 15 that in turn are secured to the truck body or container by suitable bolts 24. The container or truck body 12 has an opening 68 in the container wall through which the tires project, see FIG. 3.

The wheels with tires 36 and 38 are supported on axles, with the axles in turn being supported by the rigid member 20. A known drive mechanism 40 for rotating the axle of wheel 36 is driven through a known pulley arrangement 42 by a motor such as electric motor 44. Electric motor 44 is supported by plate 56 that in turn is secured to beam member 16 and the rigid member 20.

A hopper or chute 28 for receiving cans to be crushed has an upper wall 26, a lower inclined wall 29 and side walls 27. The lower end of the rear wall 30 and the inclined wall 29 forms an openingleading to the in tersecting contact of the tires of the wheels 36 and 38. Upper and lower guide plates32 and 34 fit over this opening to the intersecting tire contact, for restricting movement of the cans either above or below the tire contact. Thus the cans cannot be projected out of the area leading to the intersecting contact.

In operation, the motor 44 drives the gear drive 40 that in turn rotates the wheel 52 carrying the tire 36. The intersecting resilient tires make contact at 54 that rotates wheel and tire 38. These tires can be rotated at relatively high speeds. The cans 62 are dropped into the hopper and move down the chute surface 29. The vibration of the unit along with the weight of the other cans moves the cans into contact with the rotating tires. The rotating tires, through their surfaces or treads, grip the cans and force the cans between the tires crushing the cans in this movement and projecting the crushed cans 66 at a relatively high velocity into the container 12. The cans leave the crushing tires with sufficient velocity that they accumulate at the far end of the con ,tainer, thus reducing the necessity of moving cans within the container,

The pressure between the tires would normally crush aluminum cans. If it is desired to crush, for example,

steel objects such as steel cans, then the adjusting mechanism 36 may be adjusted by loosening screws 48 and sliding the wheel axle for wheel 38 in a direction to increase the pressure contact between the tires at contact point 54. Thus the pressure of contact between the two tires may be increased to increase the pressure required for crushing cans with greater force. Also tires such as truck tires or the like may also be employed for crushing heavier cans. All the cans normally flow down the hopper and chute and are gripped by the tires with out difficulty. Where wet cans are being crushed, the tire 38 can have gripping means such as a tire chain element 70 to contact the cans and move the cans between the tires in the normal manner. The liquid content of the cans can drip down between the tires and be collected in any suitable manner. A suitable protective housing 60 can be fitted over the rotating tires as desired.

Having described my invention, I now claim. 1. A can crusher comprising, a pair of wheels with resilient tires, frame means for holding said wheels in abutting alignment with the tires touching, said frame means including axles for supporting said wheels for relative in-line rotational movement, motor means for rotating said tires, chute means for directing cans to be crushed into the intersecting contact of said tires, said motor means including drive means for rotating only one of said tires, and said one tire rotating the other tire by said contact therebetween. 2. A can crusher as claimed in claim 1 in which, said tires having tread thereon for gripping said cans for movement between said tires. 3. A can crusher as claimed in claim 1 in which, means for attaching said frame means to a container whereby said cans are ejected from said rotating tires and projected into the container. 4. A can crusher as claimed in claim 1 including, a rigid member, and the respective axles of said wheels being mounted in said rigid member with said tires being held in the same plane. 5. A can crusher comprising, a pair of wheels with resilient tires, frame means for holding said wheels in abutting alignment with the tires touching, said frame means including axles for supporting said wheels for relative in-line rotational movement, motor means for rotating said tires, chute means for directing cans to be crushed into the intersecting contact of said tires,

said motor means including drive means mounted on said rigid member and connectedto the axle of one of said wheels for rotating said wheel,

and means on said rigid member for adjusting the position of said other wheel relative to said one of said wheels to adjust the contact pressure between said tires.

6. A can crusher as claimed in claim 5 including,

plate means secured to said rigid member and over the space adjacent the intersecting contact of said tires for preventing cans moving through said chute means from passing outwardly. from said tires rather than into the intersecting contact of said tires.

7. A can crusher as claimed in claim 6 in which,

said chute means comprising a hopper for receiving a pluralityof cans which hopper has a discharge opening that passes cans into the volume defined by said tires and by upper and lower ones of said plate means.

8. A can crusher as claimed in claim 7 in which,

one of said tires having an encircling band forming a non-slip clamp around the tire for gripping wet cans and the like and moving said cans between the intersecting contact of said tires.

9. A can crusher comprising,

a pair of wheels with resilient tires,

frame means for holding said wheels in abutting alignment with the tires touching,

said frame means including axles for supporting said wheels for relative in-line rotational movement,

motor means for rotating said tires,

chute means for directing cans to be crushed into the intersecting contact of said tires,

a container for receiving said cans,

said container having an opening in one end thereof,

a rigid member, and the respective axles of said wheels being mounted in said rigid member with said tires being held in the same plane. 

1. A can crusher comprising, a pair of wheels with resilient tires, frame means for holding said wheels in abutting alignment with the tires touching, said frame means including axles for supporting said wheels for relative in-line rotational movement, motor means for rotating said tires, chute means for directing cans to be crushed into the intersecting contact of said tires, said motor means including drive means for rotating only one of said tires, and said one tire rotating the other tire by said contact therebetween.
 2. A can crusher as claimed in claim 1 in which, said tires having tread thereon for gripping said cans for movement between said tires.
 3. A can crusher as claimed in claim 1 in which, means for attaching said frame means to a container whereby said cans are ejected from said rotating tires and projected into the container.
 4. A can crusher as claimed in claim 1 including, a rigid member, and the respective axles of said wheels being mounted in said rigid member with said tires being held in the same plane.
 5. A can crusher comprising, a pair of wheels with resilient tires, frame means for holding said wheels in abutting alignment with the tires touching, said frame means including axles for supporting said wheels for relative in-line rotational movement, motor means for rotating said tires, chute means for directing cans to be crushed into the intersecting contact of said tires, said motor means including drive means mounted on said rigid member and connected to the axle of one of said wheels for rotating said wheel, and means on said rigid member for adjusting the position of said other wheel relative to said one of said wheels to adjust the contact pressure between said tires.
 6. A can crusher as claimed in claim 5 including, plate means secured to said rigid member and over the space adjacent the intersecting contact of said tires for preventing cans moving through said chute means from passing outwardly from said tires rather than into the intersecting contact of said tires.
 7. A can crusher as claimed in claim 6 in which, said chute means comprising a hopper for receiving a plurality of cans which hopper has a discharge opening that passes cans into the volume defined by said tires and by upper and lower ones of said plate means.
 8. A can crusher as claimed in claim 7 in which, one of said tires having an encircling band forming a non-slip clamp around the tire for gripping wet cans and the like and moving said cans between the intersecting contact of said tires.
 9. A can crusher comprising, a pair of wheels with resilient tires, frame means for holding said wheels in abutting alignment with the tires touching, said frame means including axles for supporting said wheels for relative in-line rotational movement, motor means for rotating said tires, chute means for directing cans to be crushed into the intersecting contact of said tires, a container for receiving said cans, said container having an opening in one end thereof, and means for connecting said frame means to said container whereby said tires project through said opening in said container and eject said crushed cans passing therebetween into said container.
 10. A can crusher as claimed in claim 9 in which, said tires having tread thereon foR gripping said cans for movement between said tires.
 11. A can crusher as claimed in claim 10 including, a rigid member, and the respective axles of said wheels being mounted in said rigid member with said tires being held in the same plane. 